Barricades and tents burning on Kyiv's Maidan

People living in tents on Independence Square (Maidan) in the center of Kyiv have offered resistance to Kyiv-1 battalion soldiers who have arrived at the site.

An Interfax-Ukraine correspondent has reported that tent camp tenants are throwing paving stones and Molotov cocktails at the soldiers.

Barricades are burning outside of the Trade Unions House, and car tires have been set on fire near European Square. Firefighters are working at the scene.

People from the Maidan are also removing tires from the barricades on Instytutska Street and are attempting to set them on fire.

The Kyiv police department has reported that on Thursday morning the city's services started to remove the barricades from the Maidan. However, some tents were set ablaze on the square.

"Policemen managed to restore order and allowed the utilities services to continue their efforts. However, another tent caught fire, and firefighters are now working to extinguish the blaze," a city police spokesman told Interfax-Ukraine.